Spanish Stars Keep Sending

Iker Pou, the Spaniard who has already repeated two 5.14d routes, Action Directe and Bain de Sang, has established a 5.14d (9a) of his own in northern Spain. Mendeku is a fairly short, powerful crimping route. Earlier this fall, Pou freed Zunbeltz (8b+/5.14a), a multipitch former A4 route on the limestone wall of Naranjo de Bulnes, Spain. He has twice climbed the 1700-foot Pillar del Catabrico (5.13c) at Naranjo de Bulnes all-free in a day. Josune Bereziartu, Pou’s partner on one of those free ascents of Pillar del Catabrico, continues to cement her reputation as the strongest female climber in the world. She and her husband, Rikardo Otegi, have both redpointed Tsunami (8c/8c+ or 5.14b/c) at Alquézar in northern Spain.